MOC softball splits with Newberry

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on February 17, 2008 2:14 AM

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MOC Sports Information

NEWARK, N.J. -- Noel Garcia earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors and Mount Olive College defeated Harvard 30-26, 30-27, 30-32, 30-22 in men's volleyball action Saturday afternoon.

Garcia posted a career-high 20 kills for the Trojans, who seized their first-ever victory over a Division I team in the program's four-year history. Senior setter Zach Wilson dished out a season-best 56 assists and grabbed a spot on the all-tournament squad.

Pedro Penate provided 14 kills and four blocks, while Osvaldo Perez contributed 11 kills. Jose Lanier narrowly missed a double-double with 10 kills and seven blocks.

The Trojans recorded 15 blocks in the win.

Garcia and Perez notched 13 kills apiece as the Trojans opened tournament play with a 30-19, 30-27, 30-25 sweep of East Stroudsburg (Pa.) on Friday evening.

Wilson doled out 40 assists, while Penate paced the defense with 10 digs. Carroll supplied three blocks for the Trojans. Garcia posted a .524 hitting percentage with just two errors during the three-set victory.

Men's basketball

DUE WEST, S.C. -- Kendrick Easley and Brandon Streeter tallied 23 and 22 points, respectively, as No. 16-ranked Mount Olive hammered Erskine (S.C.) University 86-59 on Saturday afternoon.

Easley supplied 18 second-half points for the Trojans, ranked No. 1 among Division II East Region teams. Streeter converted six field goals and shot 10 of 12 from the free throw line.

Mount Olive (20-4 overall) remained atop the Conference Carolinas standings at 15-2, while Erskine (6-17) dropped to 2-14.

Josh Brown's 3-pointer with 12-plus minutes gave the Trojans their biggest lead, 24-7, in the opening half. The Flying Fleet climbed within 30-25, but Streeter ended the offensive surge with two free throws.

The Trojans limited Erskine to three free throws in the first three minutes of the second half, while Easley and Mike Holloman connected on 3-pointers as Mount Olive built the lead to 45-30. Erskine got as close as eight points, but Justin Melton's three-pointer triggered a 10-1 run and Easley's three-point play gave the Trojans a 75-52 lead with 4:02 left to play.

Mount Olive grabbed its sixth 20-win season in the Division II era and seventh overall in program history.

Women's basketball

DUE WEST, S.C. -- Sophomore Helen Moore scored 16 points and Mount Olive set a single-season school record for conference wins in a 74-39 rout of Erskine (S.C.) University.

The Trojans (15-9 overall) improved to 13-4 against Conference Carolinas opposition, and kept sole possession of second place in the league. Mount Olive won 12 league contests in 1995-96.

Mount Olive broke away from a tie game midway through the first half as Keona Corley's basket off of Alisa Jones' steal ignited an 18-2 run and gave the Trojans a 31-15 lead with 4:12 left in the first half.

Erskine (4-19, 3-13) never got closer than 14 points and Mount Olive went into the locker room with a 39-24 halftime lead.

Lakeisha Monroe finished with 14 points for Mount Olive and Jones recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Jill Oaks added a season-high 10 points.

Tennis

MOUNT OLIVE -- The Mount Olive men's and women's tennis teams opened Conference Carolinas action with a sweep of Coker (S.C.) College on Saturday afternoon at the John Neal Walker Tennis Complex.

The Trojan men prevailed 9-0, while the women won 5-4.

Guilherme Serra, Vitor Lage, Fred Barros, Alex Queiros, Indra Mitra and Aldo Barba each picked up a singles point. Barros won in three sets. Lage, Mitra and Barba each lost just one game.

On the women's side, junior Kristen Jones clinched the match for Mount Olive by winning 6-3, 6-1 at No. 5 singles. The No. 2 doubles of senior Monica Barone/freshman Camila Kurebayashi grabbed a clutch 8-6 win.

Softball

MOUNT OLIVE -- Jenny Jackson's two-RBI double capped a three-run, fifth-inning uproar and Anna Turvin retired 16 of the final 19 batters she faced as Mount Olive nipped Newberry (S.C.) 3-2 on Friday afternoon.

It was the Trojans' season-opening game.

Kristen Hicks threw a two-hitter as Newberry claimed the nightcap 1-0.

In game one, Mount Olive broke its scoreless drought on freshman Jazzmine Lee's two-out single to shallow center field. Former Southern Wayne standout Karen Thornton drew walk and both runners scored when Jackson lined a two-strike pitch off the right center-field fence.

Turvin (1-0) yielded a two-out single in the second inning and a one-out single in the third before retiring 12 consecutive batters. Newberry collected consecutive singles in the seventh, but the Trojan defense preserved the victory.

A transfer from South Florida Junior College, Turvin finished with a seven-hitter in her Trojan debut. She struck out two and walked none.

In game two, Hicks (3-0) kept Mount Olive silent and retired the side in order during each of the final four innings. She struck out five and walked two.